About ten years ago, my father took all of us on a cruise to Cozumel.  It was part of a group of individuals he’d known from a restaurant/lounge that he frequented, and to him it sounded like fun.  And for us, it was a free trip.  Having said that, though, it was probably the least enjoyable trip I was ever on.  Why is that?

Probably because I was so…bored.  We sailed on the Carnival cruise line, on the ship Imagination.  Don’t get me wrong: the ship was in fine shape, always clean, the food was good (not great, but not horrible either) and the staff was always attentive and pleasant to deal with.

I think what really soured me was the whole atmosphere of being on a cruise ship.

First of all, we are not drinkers.  And yet, it felt like we were on a party boat, where the sole purpose was two things, one of them to get drunk.  Observing a few of the poolside games during the trip, it always seemed like they were noisy, stupid fun for those with the heavy cocktails in hand, not those of us who would just want to relax and unwind.

The other purpose of the trip (and probably Carnival’s big profit center): the casino.  I wandered the ship for an entire “day at sea”, with the only activities available being the drunken poolside games, and gambling.  Even after dinner, not all that interested in their shows, I floated around the decks looking for a lady to spend “private” time with for a few hours, but most seemed to be with other partners, or just not interested.

The destinations were not all that interesting.  Key West was nice, but we were only allowed a few hours there.  I could have spent an entire day, renting a moped and putting around the island for the day.  Instead, had to stop at a few touristy shops, rush to eat lunch, and be back on board.  Poor itinerary planning.

The eventual destination was eventually Cozumel, but we never got to see it (other than the gift shop at the port).  Some of us, instead, took a trip to the ruins at Tulum, which were actually quite fascinating.  The trip on the shuttle barge over was horrible though–most of us got a bit woozy, if not flat-out sick.  Nobody’s fault except the rough waters where we were at.  The countryside in Mexico was also fascinating, as you really felt like you were in another world, and seeing how poor some of their people live.

If we are to take another cruise again, now that I have a traveling companion, we’d like to go on an Alaska cruise, one where there is a lot of constant scenery change, and interesting ports to stop in.  We’ve also considered a Hawaii cruise, but that’s a case where we’d probably be better off seeing the sights without being constrained to a ship’s schedule.  Given the whole “party boat” atmosphere of Carnival, I can easily say that we’ll be on a more adult cruise line next time.  And going to a destination whose sole purpose is not sunbathing and drinking.

For travel in general, I’m very much a driver.  I like flying, but the airport hassles are almost not worth taking a flight.  And you still have to rent a car when you get there.  When I take vacations out west to the Rockies, for instance, taking a car is very much a necessity.  You stop so often, and put on so many miles, that it’s a lot easier to be in your own car.  The only really rough stretches are the long drives getting to your destination, although they are not unbearable.  And you can get out whenever you want and see any sights along the way.  Breaking up long stretches with little stops and side trips is what makes a journey interesting.  Something you can’t do on a “day at sea” on a cruise ship.